The association between metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer: Effect on cancer aggressiveness and progression

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the impact of metabolic syndrome and its individual components on prostate biopsy findings, the radical prostatectomy specimen and on biochemical recurrence. Materials and methods An observational study was conducted of 1319 men who underwent prostate biopsy between January 2007 and December 2011. The impact on the biopsy findings, the radical prostatectomy specimen and biochemical recurrence was evaluated using logistic regression and Cox regression. Results Of the 1319 patients, 275 (21%) had metabolic syndrome, and 517 prostate cancers were diagnosed. A greater percentage of metabolic syndrome was found among patients with prostate cancer than among patients without prostate cancer (25% versus 18%; p  = .002). Poorer results were found in the radical prostatectomy specimens (Gleason score ≥ 7, p p p p  = .003). Metabolic syndrome behaved as an independent predictive factor of finding a Gleason score ≥ 7 for the specimen, as well as for finding a specimen stage ≥ T2c. Metabolic syndrome was also able to independently predict a greater rate of biochemical recurrence (OR: 3.6, p p  = .03; HR: 1.7; respectively). Conclusions Metabolic syndrome is associated with poorer findings in the radical prostatectomy specimens and is an independent prognostic factor of biochemical recurrence.